NFL 2012 Live Mock Draft Round 1 (Picks 1-16)

Drafttek.com uses a computer model to simulate a 7-round 2012 NFL Mock Draft. Each team
has an analyst who supplies data on 2012 NFL Draft team needs. The team needs are matched
up against a list of 2012 NFL Draft prospect rankings (aka "Big Board") in order to generate
each selection in our 2012 NFL Mock Draft.

The 2012 NFL draft is on! Make Drafttek a part of your rotation as we create a new mock draft after every "real-world" pick. Trades? No problem, we plug those into our simulator and model the draft foward from there. Usually posted within a minute or two the actual trade.

(Edit Fri 5:30 EST) Round 2-7 draft projection re-simulated. Team Analysts have reviewed their R1 picks and re-assessed priorities for the remainder of the draft.

- Checkmarked picks represent Drafttek correct prognostications

1

Indianapolis

Andrew Luck Stanford QB Reach/Value: +0

Height:6'4"Weight:235

Alternate Pick #1Robert GriffinAlternate Pick #2Morris Claiborne

Certainly not a surprise, and at least Indy didn't take longer than a few minutes on the clock. So starts, officially, the new era of the Indianapolis Colts.....post Peyton Manning. Now the hard work begins - the team needs a near total overhaul - and Luck may take a beating in his first year or so. (A)

2

Washington

Robert Griffin Baylor QB Reach/Value: +0

Height:6'2"Weight:220

Alternate Pick #1Matt KalilAlternate Pick #2Morris Claiborne

They paid a hefty price to get him, but the risk-reward potential with RG3 could make the price worth while. One thing's for sure, RG3 will not be out-worked and he has all the intangibles to lead this team back to respectability. Combine an electric offence with a solid defence and the Redskins could be a force for years to come. Grade: B+

3

Cleveland

Trent Richardson Alabama RBF Reach/Value: -1

Height:5'11"Weight:224

Alternate Pick #1Justin BlackmonAlternate Pick #2Morris Claiborne

The Browns get their man in a pre-draft blockbuster trade! The Browns send Minnesota the 4th overall pick, and the extra picks in rounds 4 (118), 5 (139) and a round 7 pick. Trent Richardson will make Browns fans proud as he keeps the chains moving, and is a threat to score from anywhere on the field.GRADE: A

4

Minnesota

Matt Kalil USC LOT Reach/Value: +1

Height:6'6"Weight:295

Alternate Pick #1Justin BlackmonAlternate Pick #2Riley Reiff

Thank you, Rick. The Vikings trade back one spot, pick up three picks and get the player they need and wanted all along, OT Matt Kalil. Though Claiborne also made sense, the investment in Ponder lead to the investment in the OL. It will be VERY interesting to see how the rest of the draft plays out. I wouldn't be surprised if they moved back into the 1st round for WR Stephen Hill. Grade: A+

5

Jacksonville

Justin Blackmon Oklahoma State WRF Reach/Value: -1

Height:6'1"Weight:212

Alternate Pick #1Morris ClaiborneAlternate Pick #2Michael Floyd

It was widely reported that Owner Shahid Khan highly coveted Blackmon and GM Gene Smith did his owner proud by giving up a mere 4th round pick to jump the Rams and get his man. Hopefully the Jags can build off of this pick and Khan politely takes a step back so Smith can do his job. Love the player and this pick fills a major need. Grade: A

6

Dallas

Morris Claiborne LSU CB Reach/Value: +1

Height:5'11"Weight:188

Alternate Pick #1Luke KuechlyAlternate Pick #2Courtney Upshaw

The Cowboys entered the offseason with questions in the secondary. They began to refurbish with Brandon Carr in free agency. They were expected to add another player early in the draft, possibly with Alabama SS Mark Barron. But then a deal too good to pass on appeared thanks to the Rams. Morris Claiborne was as shocked as anyone that he's headed to Dallas. And now the Cowboys have an imposing secondary to shut down the Giants and Eagles. Grade: A

7

Tampa Bay

Mark Barron Alabama SS Reach/Value: -11

Height:6'1"Weight:213

Alternate Pick #1Luke KuechlyAlternate Pick #2Riley Reiff

This pick is reminiscent Buffalo's surprise selection of Donte Whitner in the 2006 draft. Mark Barron is a fine player, but probably not who Tampa Bay was hoping to land when they traded down from the #5 pick. They did add a round 4 pick for their efforts, but expecting a starting LB or CB in R4 is a stretch. Neither Richardson, Blackmon, and Claiborne were available. Grade: C

8

Miami

Ryan Tannehill Texas A&M QB Reach/Value: -1

Height:6'4"Weight:220

Alternate Pick #1Michael FloydAlternate Pick #2Quinton Coples

After all the conjecture and predictions Tannehill is the guy. It's hard to be too excited about the pick off the bat since it's doubtful the former Aggie will see the field much in 2012. However Matt Moore is a free agent following this season and David Garrard is 34. Tannehill needs seasoning but with coaching from Philbin and Sherman the raw QB could finally be the answer to Miami's 12 year QB question. Grade: A

9

Carolina

Luke Kuechly Boston College SILB Reach/Value: +2

Height:6'3"Weight:242

Alternate Pick #1Fletcher CoxAlternate Pick #2Riley Reiff

Dan Connor took his talents to Dallas, leaving a void in the middle of the Panthers defense. Enter Kuechly, possibly the draft's safest selection. He should step into the MLB role from Day 1. What to do with Beason, who has played MLB in the past? When he retruns from his Achilles injury he'll be at OLB where he played part of the season in 2010. A need filled with a great player? Grade: A

10

Buffalo

Stephon Gilmore South Carolina CB Reach/Value: -5

Height:6'0"Weight:190

Alternate Pick #1Riley ReiffAlternate Pick #2Michael Floyd

The savvy, hard-hitting Gilmore an excellent pick, one that could trump Aaron Williams' RD2 selection last year. Compared with Williams, Gilmore has more height (he's 6'2" to Williams' generous 6'0"), better speed (4.40 to 4.56), better blitz skills, and similar change of direction (3.94 shuttle to 4.07, and 6.61 to 6.72 3-cone). Williams-Gilmore could rival the Bills' all-time CB tandems. Grade A

11

Kansas City

Dontari Poe Memphis DT34 Reach/Value: -13

Height:6'4"Weight:346

Alternate Pick #1Dre KirkpatrickAlternate Pick #2Dontari Poe

Pioli goes against his stated philosophy of preferring players with lots of good game tape to take Poe. Poe is a huge freak athlete with great raw skills. This is a classic boom or bust pick. Romeo Crennel must feel he can motivate and coach Poe up. Poe's upside is enormous, however he could be the next Ryan Sims. The Chiefs really rolled the dice here. Grade: D

12

Philadelphia

Fletcher Cox Mississippi State DT43 Reach/Value: +4

Height:6'4"Weight:298

Alternate Pick #1Michael BrockersAlternate Pick #2Devon Still

The Eagles had a plethora of picks and utilized that surplus to move up a few spots to secure the best 4-3 DT in the draft. Adding Cox's skillset is perfect for the Eagles' "wide 9" defense. He's a tall player (6'4") that relies on his quickness to collapse the pocket. Cox will slide right into a deep rotation which includes Patterson, Jenkins, Dixon and Landri. Not sure how much he'll fix there deficiencies against the run, though. Grade: B

13

Arizona

Michael Floyd Notre Dame WRF Reach/Value: +2

Height:6'3"Weight:220

Alternate Pick #1Riley ReiffAlternate Pick #2Courtney Upshaw

Though not a top need given the presence of one Mr. Larry Darnell Fitzgerald Jr., the selection of Floyd will certainly be a benefit to QB Kevin Kolb. There were many options on the board including OT Reiff and numerous DE options, but the selection of Floyd should help the Cardinals offence move the chains, which they desperately need to do to keep the D fresh. Grade: B

14

St Louis

Michael Brockers LSU DT43 Reach/Value: -5

Height:6'5"Weight:322

Alternate Pick #1Devon StillAlternate Pick #2Riley Reiff

The Rams get massive underclassman Michael Brockers (6'5" 322) from LSU. Brockers has the size and athletic ability to immediately contribute to the thinnest group on the defense. Ultimately, the Rams got a great talent with upside that will contribute immediately and two 1st and two 2nd round picks for their original #2 overall. Grade: A

15

Seattle

Bruce Irvin West Virginia DE43 Reach/Value: -86

Height:6'3"Weight:245

Alternate Pick #1Quinton CoplesAlternate Pick #2Andre Branch

For the 2nd year in a row the Seahawks come out of left field with a reach pick that they probably could have had an entire round later. Expect Irvin to be the heir apparent to Chris Clemons at the LEO position, but for 2012 Irvin will be on the field only for passing downs. Grade: F

16

NY Jets

Quinton Coples North Carolina OLB34 Reach/Value: +4

Height:6'6"Weight:284

Alternate Pick #1Riley ReiffAlternate Pick #2Courtney Upshaw

A curious pick for the Jets. While Coples has the size to play DE in the teams 3-4, a pass rusher would have made more sense. There were plenty available, such as Melvin Ingram and Courtney Upshaw. Coples would be better off as a DE in an even front. In addition to the decreased scheme efficiency, Coples also has motivational issues. Why not an OLB or an OL upgrade? Grade: C